Page 10 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

Exercise
Report Ocean Sky 2019

ba
om
C
Combat in the
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CombatCanaries

1
Acosta Zapata join G from the Spanish mainland the runway at the international KC-130H that supported the
Ben Gorski and Manuel eographically separated resources, with fighters sharing 15 at Zaragoza, plus an Ala 31
and located just off the
Exercise Ocean Sky, coast of Morocco, the Canary airport of Gran Canaria. fighters with aerial refuelling.
The principle aims of the exercise
The US Air Forces in Europe
held on October 19-30 at Islands present something of a are to increase interoperability pitched up with a dozen F-15C/Ds
Gando air base on Gran challenge to the Ejército del Aire between different types of aircraft, from the 493rd Fighter Squadron
Canaria, and designed to (EdA, Spanish Air Force) in terms as well as evaluate and improve ‘Grim Reapers’ at RAF Lakenheath,
test the air defences of the of air defence. Known as DACT the tactics, techniques and Suffolk, joined by three Türk Hava
Canary Islands. (Dissimilar Air Combat Training) procedures of nations allied to Kuvvetleri (THK, Turkish Air Force)
since 2004, the rechristened Spain. Exercise Ocean Sky 2019 F-16C/Ds from 151 Filo ‘Fighting
Exercise Ocean Sky at Gando air brought together 50 fighters from Wolves’ at Merzifon, along with a
base is an annual test of air combat the hosts, the US and Turkey. supporting C-130E and an A400M.
Gando is home to Ala 46,
Supporting participants equipped with F/A-18A+ fighters A NATO E-3A AWACS (Airborne
Warning and Control System)
The exercise worked closely with Gando’s There was also a robust cyber security that are dedicated to guarding oversaw command and control.
In order to spread the load,
the local airspace. For the
Grupo de Alerta y Control (GRUALERCON, element that included a secure computer purposes of the exercise, an Lanzarote military airfield at San
Alert and Control Group), which acted network supporting the entire exercise. influx of EdA assets included Bartolomé hosted some of the
as the tactical control centre for roughly In addition, 802 Escuadrón operated in Eurofighters from Ala 11 at Morón participants in the shape of a
half of the missions, mainly those in its usual search and rescue (SAR) capacity and Ala 14 at Albacete, EF-18Ms recently delivered A400M from Ala
which the E-3 was not involved. with its CN235MPA-100s and AS332/H215s. from Ala 12 at Torrejón and Ala 31, which also used its new in-flight

10 // February 2020 #383 www.Key.Aero

03/01/2020 09:21:20
10-12 OceanSky AFM Feb2020.indd 10
10-12 OceanSky AFM Feb2020.indd 10 03/01/2020 09:21:20